Passive UHF RFID Tag Specifications

The DoD approved frequency range for the tags is 860-960 MHz with a minimum read range of three meters. Until the EPC UHF Gen 2 tag specification is published and quantities of UHF Gen 2 items are available for widespread use, the DoD will accept the following EPC tags:

• Class 0 64-bit read-only
• Class 1 64-bit read-write
• Class 0 96-bit read-only
• Class 1 96-bit read-write

The above listed tags will be utilized for initial shipments from suppliers in compliance with appropriate contractual requirements to tag items shipped to DoD receiving points commencing January 1, 2005.

When the UHF Gen 2 EPC technology is approved and has completed any required compliance and/or interoperability testing, the DoD will establish firm tag acceptance expiration dates (sunset dates) for EPC Version 1 (class 0 and 1) tags and will accept only UHF Gen 2 EPC tags thereafter. The DoD goal is to migrate to use of an open standard UHF Gen 2 EPC tag, Class 1 or higher, that will support DoD end-to-end supply chain integration.

Anticipated Passive EPC Version 1 Tag sunset dates for suppliers shipping to DoD:

• Class 0 – 64 bit: At a minimum, 2 years from the publication of the specification for UHF Gen 2 – subject to the availability and product maturity of this technology, i.e., UHF Gen 2.
• Class 1 – 64 bit: At a minimum, 6 months from the general commercial availability and product maturity of Class 1 96 bit tags.
• Class 0 and Class 1 – 96 bit: At a minimum, 2 years from the publication of the specification for UHF Gen 2 – subject to the availability and product maturity of this technology, i.e., UHF Gen 2.

  NOTE: DoD will establish the tag expiration (sunset) dates and implementation dates for migration to UHF Gen 2.

As outlined below, suppliers to DoD must encode an approved tag using either a DoD tag data construct or an EPC tag data construct. Suppliers that choose to employ the DoD tag construct will use the Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code previously assigned to them and encode the tags per the rules that follow. Suppliers that are EPCglobal™ subscribers and possess a unique EPC manager number may choose to use the EPC tag data construct to encode tags per the rules that follow. Suppliers must ensure that each tag identification is unique.

Passive UHF RFID Tag Specifications